This past week, Students for Justice in Palestine at ASU introduced the first version of a bill, SB 67, calling for ASU to divest from Caterpillar, Inc to the Undergraduate Student Government Senate of Tempe campus on Tuesday, March 22nd. The bill is titled “A Resolution to Divest from Caterpillar, Inc. for its Human Rights Abuses in Palestine.”

After gathering at least 25 supporters in the room and amassing over 500 signatures of ASU students on a petition in support of the bill, the bill was inexplicably “tabled indefinitely,” denying any form of transparent debate to attendees. A similar number of people were gathered in the room opposing the bill, representing groups like Sun Devils for Israel and Hillel, and included speakers who were identified as Emerson Fellows. Emerson Fellows are students chosen by the pro-Israel group StandWithUs for a “one-year fellowship program that recruits, trains, educates, and inspires pro-Israel college students to become an elite cadre of leaders on college campuses across North America…[and] form a network of trained pro-Israel student leaders.”

Despite SB 67 being the only bill on the agenda, the Senate proceeded to have an hour long discussion over the removal of a senator from his position as committee chair for unrelated reasons. Meeting attendees watched as accusations about the senator’s leadership were aired, with certain members questioning the political motives of the accusers in light of the senator’s candidacy in the student government’s presidential campaign. Before the meeting concluded, supporters and opponents of the bill spoke during Open Forum about the events that took place. SJP members criticized senators for engaging in a frivolous debate about matters with little significance to students while choosing to shut down any debate on the divestment bill. In addition, our members indicated our intention to introduce a revised version of the bill in the future, which we would hope senators would allow to be debated in the spirit of transparency and free speech.

In anticipation of further divestment efforts, SJP hosted a discussion of the bill following this meeting on Thursday, March 20th. Several members gave brief a presentation on the reasons behind calling for divestment from Caterpillar, Inc. and answered questions from the audience, composed of leaders of student organizations and interested students.

For more information and videos of our divestment campaign, see our divestment facebook Likes page: https://www.facebook.com/ASUSJPdeCAT

The state press coverage of the Senate meeting is here: http://www.statepress.com/2014/03/18/undergraduate-student-government-members-discuss-divestment-bill-removal-of-sen-parra/

The first-ever Palestinian film to be nominated for best Documentary Feature by A.M.P.A.S, the critically-acclaimed 5 BROKEN CAMERAS is a deeply personal, first-hand account of life and non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village surrounded by Israeli settlements.

In the plight for justice and to counter the hegemonistic ambitions of Israel, dabke has become one of many ways to nonviolently resist the illegal occupationn.

As students for justice in Palestine, we did a flashmob dabkeh to show that Palestinian culture is alive and well, and that the whitewashing, the weak justifications, of human rights violations is not acceptable.

David Sheen gave a great lecture about Israel’s treatmenmt of African refugees. He described the new racist laws, the disgusting discourse that is too common, and the violence (physical and institutional) that is perpetuated by government officials.

This morning, members of ASU SJP posted hundreds of mock eviction notices throughout ASU Housing buildings. The purpose was to spread awareness about the thousands of illegal, unjustified home demolitions perpetrated by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) against Palestinians.

SJP started Israeli Apartheid Week with a Mock Wall to represent the real separation wall that Israel has built in the West Bank, snaking through Palestinian villages. The wall often surrounds villiages from three sides, inhibiting free movement, trade, communication, and forcing Palestinians to wait long hours at checkpoints.